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achievement. And I think that probably each of you could give me examples of
teachers who use the least amount of technology in the classroom who are those
people that Dr. Paz is actually referring to that aren't comfortable with it
who actually are moving students the most
and so I want to be cautious as we talk with this
talk with our community about this, that we don't over promise
what this will do. Even as a customization tool
students need direction
they need teaching, instruction, they need guidance, they need supervision and I
see that as a huge issue with our very large class sizes as we try to
get them to learn independently I know that you're going to have controls
on these devices about certain things that they can and can't be doing but
even so
students will push that. They will push that and they need
teachers, they need teachers.
there's evidence actually of that in the LA Times there's a really
interesting article about the first high school in LA Unified that got
iPads, it took the kids about two hours to figure out how to bypass
the filters to get to YouTube and Facebook
and we are teaching them valuable skills for their careers but
I don't know that I want that to start at the elementary level so I think
that that's something that we should
we need to be
cautious of as we talk to the community about this and one question
that I'm going to have
is you know how do we measure that this is really worthwhile
as it's a pilot program, as we watch LA Unified because LA Unified is doing this
you know
wholesale. They're jumping into this with nothing and I feel like
we are doing it in a much better way where we're pacing it and seeing what works
and what doesn't work and it may be
that just for Common Core and Smarter Balanced Assessments that we need this
and that it doesn't make any difference that it -- you know whether or not it
affects student achievement in the long run
that we just need this, and maybe that's our measure of success
but I think that we need to to reflect on that. I mean is that ultimately going
to be it?
I mean is it just that this is, you know that it opens up all these
doesn't really make a difference, a great teacher can do this without
the iPad. So I think that we
we need to be careful about that and really consider this a pilot and reflect
on it as time goes by.
Can I just comment really quickly that there is a great
issue of Education Week that focused on
1-1 computing -- maybe I should share that with you
but it did answer some of my questions in terms of my reading it
you know I'll always have some concerns and I think that for me the
direction is the right direction to take us, but I think we just need to
always put our ear to the ground make sure that we're listening, as much as we're
trying to
engage the community, to go to another direction
So I'll jump in. To me this isn't really a question about whether this
should move forward or not
I think it's a question about how it moves forward and I'm gonna talk about the money.
because one of my concerns is that this moves forward
it doesn't increase student achievement, it doesn't work, we have headaches
and we've spent millions dollars on this and that worries me a lot.
and that's I think where my hesitation is coming from
and it's probably a fear, especially having just gone through
financial hardship in the district and trying to come out with our heads
on top and thinking, wow here we go, we might be walking down a path that
I think
is one that's needed, but it really
it's two compelling interests, I think competing against each other the need to
move towards
at technology, to more advanced technology use, but also the need of
being physically afloat, I mean like that's an issue to me in this we weren't
talking little numbers. These are big numbers, millions of dollars
so as I look at this, next steps in the pilot school committee
I actually, I think I would like to suggest and maybe this was Dr Cash's
plan anyhow but
after they administer a survey for implementation, that he actually come
back to the board
because I think going from zero to millions
is, truthfully doesn't say much to me
I mean I don't know what this is going to cost. I don't know and
even in year one in if we're talking about 660,000
which is a lot of money, or
thinking about year 2, I think as folks who think about a budget we have
to do
anticipate and act conservatively and think that this is going to cost us at
the high end, not the low end
but it would really help me if there was a survey with real numbers
Apple is saying eighty percent use. That's great, it's coming from Apple
I don't wanna know from Apple, I actually want to know from our parents in our
districts
and I like the option of buying I've talked about how that was one of the
ways that I got a TI
sixty-something or whatever it was back then, I don't know
So, I was like now it is
but apparently they're way more advanced than the
number I got. I had a slide rule. Say that again?
They don't even have numbers anymore they're just Inspire. Oh, well there you
go. I mean so I like that idea but I am
cautious I just, this can't, we can't fall flat on our face on this one I mean
this is a big financial investment
and I think we as a district
I don't think it's just the teachers actually I think as a district we have
to have a capacity
to do this well I think the teacher training is one component of it
and but the truth is that technology fails everywhere
it fails at the university that has a much bigger department
for T for for technology then our district
but how do we deal with that and how do we cope with that I think that for me
there's a lot at stake and so I'm hoping that after we administer the survey we
bring that back because
I need to be able to go back to the tax payers and say
this is a good use of our money this is ab investment and feel confident about it
and it's not that my confidence isn't with
all you that are here but there this is much bigger than
those of us that are in this room tonight this is an actual systems change
and so
and I am coming from a place where
the money piece is really big for me and I also
I think don't want the iPad
along the lines of the gaming to be the next worksheet
for students so that when we walk into class it's like, oh great, look
all the students are on iPads but they're not really learning
and they're not engaged and so I you how do we think about that and how do we
make sure that we give
our teachers and everybody the capacity to make sure it doesn't become
the next thing. I mean I have students at the university level who have iPads
and sometimes and there's always fancy devices on
ways that they can like, especially when it comes to March Madness
click and they will be look like they're doing an Excel sheet and they are not
I mean there's all these fancy tools and I'm telling you the students are the
first to like
yeah look, you just hit this button and you go from like
watching basketball games to pretending that you're working
our students are smart and they're really intelligent so I
just
I don't want this, I want this to be used well but I am hoping that we get a
little bit more information so
at least for me as a board member I can feel confident going back to the
taxpayers, to our parents, to the teachers and saying
we have the capacity to train folks to give you the
the use and to the parents to say this is not just going to be one of those tools
that let students
goof off, they're going to really use this to increase
student achievement and that might be something that we will know years down
the line but I agree with Mrs. Parker's comments
about we might have to do this anyway just because this is how we're
testing
so let's just be cautious about how we do this and make sure that the
right support's in place. I should have had you speak
and because you just made the most eloquent argument for why we would want
to do a pilot
why we would want to go slow, why we were very careful about the schools that we
picked
and engaged in probably to the principles are very frustrating process
but got to go through
but that's I mean we are all
fully prepared to not move ahead
next year if what we discover are there are system issues big issues in
relationship to teaching and learning
that are gonna take more time for these four schools to iron out
I only put that in there because I anticipated I was anticipating board
member questions like a good superintendent should
and that was, what happens to every other school do we have a plan for them
and in the
perfect world everything goes as planned in
and I didn't identify sources of money
in particular because
I don't know what's going to happen and we
part of the timeline would be regular reporting back to the board on
here's you know I mean here's how many families are bringing the devices
here's how many are buying them, here's how many we're purchasing
you know we decided we were going to use this, this training is going to
happen this way
we would invite you to come listen to the parents or participate in the parent
workshops or meetings that we're gonna have
we know that this is going to be a big big issue
my overwhelming concern and I said it at the very end
is that if we don't
get going as a system,
the vacuum will be will have this these incredible
inequities that we won't, that will be very difficult to recover from
And I'm glad we did anticipate and had information. That was a good thing
yeah. Ms. Eidelson? On the Common Core implementation
funds is that a number that's has to be used or lost or or or and what kinda
number and what are the
restrictions on that? They can be used in technology
they can be used to professional learning it can be used in purchasing
instructional materials. And it's in the proximity of
two million? Qwo and a half million dollars. Okay and is there a
time line as to when that needs to be... Over the
next two years and did they give us a date like March of 2015 or
June of 2015? So I think
have we received the first installment of it? I believe we did. OK.
and there is a huge I you know kinda
underscoring all of this is a
large recognition by
superindendents throughout the state in fact I'm going to be at the CDE
next week having a conversation with them about
the infrastructure issues that -- we're in great shape
but a lot of districts aren't throughout the state as far as being able to manage
the implementation of the Common Core
and that this these funds can't just be for the next two years
they're going to need to be ongoing in particular to support the technology
that's gonna be required
and there's a lot of people that understand that and are interested in
seeing that move forward
Another piece that I will I add is
just information as far as
how this is going to be rolled out with
our English language learner communities and
special education communities, I mean, that's another
There'll be parents, we'll meet with the parents and the
kids just like we'll meet with all parents and kids and
Todd has already contacted Sal Guerena and
it's gonna be part of the Padres Unidos
group
right? Yeah. Now I''m thinking students too I mean do students do Read 180 on
and iPad now? I don't know. I'm just curious like how it's gonna work
That's a good question. At some point my belief is because of the nature of the
device that there'll be a lot more things happening on it than there
currently are.
I didn't know -- That could be a good thing -- Mr Heron
can I talk into my iPad too? Would you show me that after the meeting? There's a little
button there
This is the beginning in my dissertation
Teachers need only open
the closet door to find stacks of obsolete and unused teaching gizmos.
Film strips, instructional television systems, Apple II computers
and any number of educational video tapes
each promised a revolution in the classroom, none delivered.
just words of warning, just as
Madam Chair is saying right now
I also would like to see a summary of the surveys
so we have some feel for -- Oh absolutely oh yeah,
count on that. And are we giving this group of students on here
an advantage on the testing for the
Common Core? Because -- nope one of the things that we are
that the principals -- well Dr Drati and Mr Handall are requesting
of the principals
is what is their plan, as i shared earlier, to ensure that every kid
works on the technology that they'll be assessed on
and it's really unclear what's going to happen this spring I mean we don't know
yet if
if we will even be able to if Santa Barbara
will be invited to engaged in the pilot project for
Smarter Balanced or weather we'll be required because it will be the state
test
or whether we'll still have the CSTs we might be able to voluntarily
participate in the pilot. That's the High Noon face-off between the United
States Department of Education and our governor right now
Theoretically will these student be able to use their iPad for that testing?
Oh yes absolutely. So they don't have to use one on campus
they can use the one we give them. Correct They buy. Right. All right.
So I think that's it. Thank you all for staying late and giving us a lot
of information and
listening to our comments and questions and feedback
and I know that some with those these four principals a lot a great things
already happening in their schools so I am
I mean so i'm looking forward to working with them
will be great. Thank you. Thank you
So this brings us to the end
or our agenda Mr Paz is ready
to go
Do we have -- we don't have any agenda items to come back to
Do we have any future agenda items that the board would like to see
I do know that October looks like it's going to be a busy month
as far as agenda items, but any items that you'd like to see come back
to the board
or come to the board, alright so hearing none
yes Dr. Paz? We had I don't know I believe all the board members received
an email from a parent
asking for more information about the new schedule
and related to
teacher inservice days so that may be an item that we want to come back and
discuss or have an update about that would be good
I'll send you some information about it this week. Thank you Dr Cash
Alright so with that we'll go ahead and adjourn our meeting
Thank you
my